$25K City Consultant Job Includes Mayoral ‘Coaching’

San Diego Mayor Bob Filner has hired an executive consultant to help his office, a role that includes personal coaching.

Filner hired Justin Gittelman, a La Jolla-based management consultant, for $25,000 in city funds for up to a year of work. Gittelman’s job is to create a strategic plan to better the performance of the mayor’s office. The contract calls for professional, staff and organizational development for the mayor’s staff and “individual coaching with Mayor Filner.”

Two former top Filner deputies, Vince Hall and Allen Jones, have complained that Filner ran a “dehumanizing” and “abusive” office even before the sexual harassment scandal came to light. Hall said Gittelman tried to help Filner deal with his bullying.

“I know [Gittelman’s] been working very intensively on these issues,” Hall, Filner’s former chief of staff, said Friday.

Gittelman is required to have two individual coaching sessions with Filner every month, according to the signed contract. He also committed to 96 hours of work over the year-long life of the contract, meaning his hourly rate is $260. Gittelman began work May 1.

Written by Liam Dillon

Liam Dillon is senior reporter and assistant editor for Voice of San Diego. He leads VOSD’s investigations and writes about how regular people interact with local government. What should he write about next? Please contact him directly at liam.dillon@voiceofsandiego.org or 619.550.5663.

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Gittelman is a collaborative leader in the field of corporate training and development. His style is direct and honest. His company has positively improved our leadership and employee effectiveness. I find his services to be well received throughout our entire organization.

I served on the board of directors for a local nonprofit organization with Justin Gittelman. He was a bully - he was condescending, disrespectful, argumentative and defensive. After several officers came to together to have him removed from the board specifically because of his bullying, he resigned. Given that fact, it is my own humble opinion that he does not have the right tools to coach someone else out of being a bully.

Oy gevalt. Filner leaves victims in his wake no matter where he goes. Poor Gittelman will have to pull his shingle in until the heat dies down. At the very least he'll pretend this contract never happened.

Oy gevalt. Filner leaves victims in his wake no matter where he goes. Poor Gittelman will have to pull his shingle in until the heat dies down. At the very least he'll pretend this contract never happened.

Thank you for your welcome focus on the MECHANICS of how San Diego City government works. I have long thought that the first thing I would do if elected Mayor or City Manger would be to call in some people with experience running the White House to understand how they manage a team of highly visible people (President, VP and cabinet members) to coordinate goals, strategy and message across areas as diverse as economic performance and development, defense and global security and environment. The Mayor's office is still in transition to realize the "strong Mayor" format voters adopted several years ago. While I appreciate business consultants such as the one referenced in your article,I can say from personal experience in the Office of California's governor that running an executive branch of government is a far different set of circumstances than those applied to a typical business. This is about institution building - something the County has done well - and that I hope Mr. Ekard can accomplish during his stay with the City. Bringing in someone with experience at the White House or Pentagon coordination offices would be my suggested next step.

Thank you for your welcome focus on the MECHANICS of how San Diego City government works. I have long thought that the first thing I would do if elected Mayor or City Manger would be to call in some people with experience running the White House to understand how they manage a team of highly visible people (President, VP and cabinet members) to coordinate goals, strategy and message across areas as diverse as economic performance and development, defense and global security and environment. The Mayor's office is still in transition to realize the "strong Mayor" format voters adopted several years ago. While I appreciate business consultants such as the one referenced in your article,I can say from personal experience in the Office of California's governor that running an executive branch of government is a far different set of circumstances than those applied to a typical business. This is about institution building - something the County has done well - and that I hope Mr. Ekard can accomplish during his stay with the City. Bringing in someone with experience at the White House or Pentagon coordination offices would be my suggested next step.

so one by one filner is using taxpayer money to try to both do his job & to spin his image. Same thing tv shill Lena Lewis was hired for. Meanwhile taxpayers are seeing their tax money, 10's & 10's of thousands, going down the drain for something that simply can't be done...making bob filner look good.

so one by one filner is using taxpayer money to try to both do his job & to spin his image. Same thing tv shill Lena Lewis was hired for. Meanwhile taxpayers are seeing their tax money, 10's & 10's of thousands, going down the drain for something that simply can't be done...making bob filner look good.